Star Sand

Appearance

One of the rarest forms of sand, star sand, is a scientific marvel. Found on the Taketomi, Hatoma, and Iriomote islands of Japan, star sand is exactly what the name implies — small, millimeter-sized pieces of sand in the shape of stars.

Each little star is the exoskeleton of small, single-celled organisms known as Foraminifera. This means that, though the sand is no longer alive, it once was part of a living organism in the Pacific Ocean. When Foraminifera die, their shells remain in the sea and the tide brings them ashore.

Distribution

East Asia